Product Description
The Revolution is underway, but in this new era, how can parents make a lasting impact in the spiritual lives of their children? To find the answer, George Barna researched the lives of thriving adult Christians and discovered the essential steps their parents took to shape their spiritual lives in childhood. He also learned surprising truths about which popular parenting tactics just aren’t working. Revolutionary Parenting goes beyond youth group and Sunday school … More >>
#1 by Anthony Centore Ph.D. on February 16, 2010 - 10:43 am
After calculating that 10 new parenting books have been published every day for the last 21 years, George Barna decided the world could use one more.
According to George Barna, “Virtually every [parenting] book is based on personal observations, experiences, or assumptions.” While that may be true, the question
Remains–is this book any different?
Revolutionary Parenting investigates the question, “what does it take to raise a `spiritual champion’?” According to Barna, a spiritual champion is someone who is biblically literate, believes in God, professes his or her faith to others, takes Satan seriously, believes that Christ was sinless and rose from the dead, etc. Raising children to honor God and advance His purposes is what “Revolutionary Parenting” is about, and indeed this perspective separates this book from others.
Customary for the Barna Group, the research method for this book involved administering several surveys to retrieve data on the topic at hand. However, in this work, it is unclear how or when the author’s arguments are direct products of the data. The surveys themselves are absent from the text, so just where the “research” ends and the author’s assumptions begin is well hidden.
Barna states that, in the process of writing this work, he “explored the existing literature on parenting.” However, not a single professional journal article is referenced. Let me restate that point. George Barna criticizes 75,000 parenting books for not being research-based, then in his own work neglects to reference even one research article on parenting or human development.
While this book may be a step up from Uncle Bob’s parenting tips, it is a step down from the hundreds, or thousands, of quality empirical studies that have been conducted on parenting and child development over the last 35 years.
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Rating: 1 / 5
#2 by A. Bunch on February 16, 2010 - 12:15 pm
The book makes some excellent points which can really get you thinking about just how good you are doing as a parent. However, I only gave it three stars for two reasons.
First, he complained WAY too much about our culture today. Don’t assume he approves of your parenting skills either just because your kids go to sunday school and church regularly. While I agree that we’ve got some problems, I don’t need yet another book to point those out.
Second, while the title makes it sound like this is an analysis of his research, it isn’t really. It’s more of an editorial. The way it is written makes me question just how objective he really was when collecting data, especially when you consider my first problem with the book.
Rating: 3 / 5
#3 by Silvia Bridger on February 16, 2010 - 12:47 pm
This collection of advice from parents who’ve raised Christian children will help you become a better parent.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Laura Lee Heinsohn on February 16, 2010 - 3:36 pm
Cracking the Parenting Code: 6 Clues to Solving the Mystery of Meeting Your Child’s Needs
George Barna always gets down to the nitty gritty. The book was full of facts and figures, yet his hope for this generation is evident. Barna never fails to deliver.
Rating: 4 / 5
#5 by Amy Lee-Petrick on February 16, 2010 - 6:14 pm
I really enjoyed reading this book. George Barna did a great job researching families for what made their kids “spiritual giants”. I recommend this book for any parent who wants to raise their kids to be real Christians.
Rating: 5 / 5